Chabad Center & Chai Preschool

San Mateo, CA
Completed 2022

The Lent Chabad Center and The Eva Chernov Lokey Chai Preschool maximizes a complex urban site with dual zoning requirements and a unique building program at each floor level: an underground parking garage, a first floor preschool with play yards over podium, and a second floor sanctuary and community space.

The preschool is comprised of six colorful classrooms within two cohorts, each with its own distinct, age-appropriate exterior play space. The second floor lobby leads into the social hall and the shul, a double height worship space lined with clerestory windows, bringing in natural light while providing privacy. A custom, artist-designed, perforated metal screen adorns the east windows of the shul while providing a backdrop for the play yard below. Additional program includes a café, full kitchen, offices, and a contemplative roof garden with olive trees.

Interior Design: Daphne Kaufer, Studio Daph Design

Photography: Ken Gutmaker

Aerial view of the outdoor play yard area with play equipment and mounded turf areas. The building is visible beyond with a custom metal window screen.
Entry lobby looking at the main stairway with glass guards, wood treads and handrails. The entry lobby has slat wood clad walls and ceiling. One person is walking up the stairway, and one person is sitting on a couch in a seating area under the stair. A child is visible through a glass classroom door.
A preschool classroom with wood flooring, light wood clad ceiling and light wood cabinets and storage cubbies. Several children are seated talking with an adult.
A preschool classroom with wood flooring and light wood clad ceiling. Multiple children are seated and doing activities at several group tables. Photos of the children are on the back wall of the classroom.
A preschool classroom with wood flooring and light wood clad ceiling. Multiple children are seated and doing activities at several group tables.
A preschool classroom with wood flooring and light wood clad ceiling. A group of children are seated on a rug listening to their teacher. The walls are decorated with photos of the children and their artwork.
A preschool classroom with wood flooring and light wood clad ceiling. Multiple children are seated and doing activities at several group tables. Photos of the children are on the back wall of the classroom.
A stairway with glass guards, wood treads and handrails. The stairway is in a space which has slat wood clad walls and ceiling. A person is walking up the stairway.
Study area adjacent to the sanctuary with couches and reading reference materials. A woman is sitting on a couch reading a book.
A cafe with several seating areas and a wood clad ceiling. Several people are walking through the space, one person is placing an order at the counter.
A countertop displaying some of the baked goods available from the cafe. Several people are working inside the kitchen.
San Francisco Day School Addition
Bishop O’Dowd High School
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